This invention relates broadly to sheet handling devices, and more particularly to mail or letter preparation equipment.
There are many systems in the prior art for controlling the preparation of large numbers of letters and inserts for mailing to individuals on a large volume basis. For example, many such systems exist for counting and stacking cancelled checks, adding advertising inserts and bank statements to the cancelled checks, and stuffing all of these materials into single envelopes. Some such systems have sufficient flexibility to include appropriate advertising materials to fit the individuals receiving the checks and statements. Most such systems employ cards having readable codes imprinted thereon for instructing insert apparatus and other components to process mailings in certain manners. Such systems, however, do not provide the flexibility of allowing a business to process large mailings of both stuffed envelopes and "self mailers" which do not require envelopes. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide both apparatus and a method for processing mail including both stuffed envelopes and self mailers to fit the individuals receiving the mail.
Yet another difficulty with the above described prior art is that it does not allow easy preparation of tailored letters to fit varieties of individuals. It is therefore yet another object of this invention to provide apparatus and a method for preparing letters tailored to be sent to a variety of individuals.
A difficulty which has been encountered in the past in trying to process form letters tailored to meet the needs of various sendees is that some of the letters involve more pages than others and it is difficult for the same equipment to be used to process letters having different numbers of pages. Hence, it is another object of this invention to provide apparatus and a method of preparing tailored letters using the same equipment to process letters that vary in length and, consequently, number of pages.